Hotaru: The Firefly
by KissedByRainingStars
Summary: OC.AU. A story of the life of Kakashi's sister Hotaru.
1. Horror

I watched in horror as the house went up in flames. My mother's screams pierced the silence that engulfed the forest. The three men stood triumphantly as the house smothered. The turmoil of emotions threatened to overpower me.

_We should kill those men _the voice in the back of my head whispered.

I shook my head and decided to be rational. _My mother hated me. She didn't even know I came to check up on her. Why should I avenge her?_

_ She was your mother. She brought you into this world, now make sure she leaves in peace._

I leaned forward and looked closer at the murderers. I jumped back and nearly fell out of the tree when I realized I knew one of them.

_I can't kill family!_

_Oh yes you can. You've done it before._

I cringed as I remembered how I had wiped out half a village killing my father. Again, I shook my head. _I won't turn into that again._

_ You must avenge your mother!_

_ NO!_

_ You must!_

Suddenly, my actions were not my own. I jumped from the tree I had been perched on as I'd watched my mother burn. The three men stood up quickly. Fear was shining in their eyes as they saw my expression. I pointed a finger at the man in front of me.

"You," I hissed.

"H-Hotaru!" the man exclaimed.

"Tsudomaru," I growled.

"I-I-I can explain!" he stuttered.

"I'm not here for explanations."

"Wait! Here me out! We came to avenge the death of Kanaye! He was the son of the people who adopted me, so I cared about him! Kaede had said it was your mother's fault he was dead."

"Well, you were wrong!" I spat. Grief suddenly took a hold of me as I recalled my late husband. "It was my fault."

"Wha?" the three men were all equally confused.

"He died protecting me," I whispered. I shook my head hard. My emotions were getting out of control. This wasn't good.

"Oh shit!" Tsudomaru yelled. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry! We were given false information! Please forgive us!" He and his companions got down on their knees and begged for me to spare them.

The beast inside of me wouldn't back down, however. "'Sorry' isn't good enough," I hissed dangerously.

I grinned as their screams got louder and louder. When I got tired of torturing them, I silenced their screams forever. Adrenalin was rushing through me from the excitement of the moment. Then I looked down at Tsudomaru's pained expression. Realization kicked in and I began to shake. My legs gave way and I crouched in front of the three corpses. I regretted eating lunch, because I was so sickened with myself that my stomach heaved and gave it all back. Finally I stood up and added the bodies to the burning house.

It had been subdued. Now that my thoughts were my own, I knew I couldn't stay here. I began to run away. When I was far in the trees, I sensed someone following me. Doubling back, I hid in the trees until the person passed. I then became the follower. Or stalker, if that's how you see it. Anyway, as I watched the figure in front of me, he suddenly stopped. I had been going too fast, so I ran into him and knocked him to the ground with me. He was faster to recover, so he pinned me down and held a kunai to my throat.

"Hello, brother," I gasped as I looked into his black eye.

"Oh! Hello, Hotaru," Kakashi said as he stood up. He acted as if my life had never been in danger from him. "I didn't recognize your new clothes."

"So I see," I muttered as he helped me up.

"What brings you out of the forest finally?" He inquired.

"Couldn't find Kanaye's murderer, so I decided to come home," I answered absently.

"Bullshit," Kakashi whispered.

"Alright, alright," I gave in. I looked up at him with desperate eyes. "It's waking up," I whispered pathetically.

"What happened?" His voice was instantly full of concern.

"Well, it's a bit of a long story, and I'd prefer to be a little less exposed," I stalled lamely.

"Then let's go over to my place."

He led the way through the trees until we got to the village. We slowed down and tried to look normal. I pretty much fail when it comes to people skills. Luckily, no one came to stop us as we made our way through the village. I looked around and took in the changes the village had gone through since I had left almost a year ago. There were a lot more people and shops to look at than I remembered. I was soon very far behind Kakashi.

"Hotaru, come on!" he called. Embarrassed, I hurried to catch up. We reached his house soon. This at least had not changed, I was glad to see. I entered the house and turned on the lights.

It still had the same bamboo floor and empty walls. I had told him I was going to decorate it before I went mad. Well, looks like it was too late for that one.

"Ah, home sweet home," Kakashi sighed as he entered the room.

"I forgot what it was like to be under a roof," I admitted. "I've spent so many nights under the stars."

"Eh, you'll get used to it," Kakashi said unsympathetically.

"Gee, thanks," I muttered as I walked over to the kitchen.

I began to prepare Kakashi's favorite meal, as a silent appreciation for giving me a place to stay. Miso soup with eggplant might not be my favorite thing to eat, but I could eat it for Kakashi. I began to boil the water and chop the ingredients. Kakashi came in and began to make some tea. When he smelled what I was making, he came over and planted a kiss on my forehead through his mask. Smiling, I dished out the meal and went over to the table.

"Mmmm, this smells wonderful!" Kakashi commented.

We ate mostly in silence, only asking a few questions of my travels and a few about the village. The real interrogation began as we finished the meal and drank the rest of our tea.

"Hotaru," Kakashi began. I flinched when I looked up and saw the tattoo I had tried so hard to avoid seeing. He continued as if I hadn't done anything. "What happened in that clearing today? Why was our mother's house burned down and why did it smell of burning flesh?"

"'Cause someone burned in it, that's why," I mumbled.

He simply glared at me.

I sighed. "I had come to check up on Mom to see how she was doing on my way back to the village. You know how I merely hide in the trees and observe from afar. Well, anyway, I had come to see how she was doing, and I saw smoke rising from the clearing. I ran as fast as I could to see what was going on. There were three men in the clearing, and they were just standing there watching the house burn. They laughed when she screamed, so naturally I assumed they were the murderers. Well, so did it.

"It began to pester me and finally took control of my body. It went and avenged our mother's death."

"So? How is that so bad?" Kakashi pressed, clearly not getting what the whole fuss was about.

I took a deep breath. "The murderers were Tsudomaru and his cousins."

"Oh." Kakashi face suddenly lit up in realization. "Oh."

"Now do you see what my problem is? This thing is controlling my body and making me do things I regret, all because of it's blood-lust!"

"Well, I don't see what we can do about it. What's done is done. There's no way we can get that thing out of you, unless you know how to send it back to the moon."

"Well excuse me for not knowing I could summon it when I put enough of its chakra into a jutsu!" I yelled.

"I never accused you!" Kakashi yelled back.

I sighed and sat down. "I know," I said defeatedly. "I'm sorry, it's not your fault I'm stuck with this thing trapped inside of me."

"It's not yours either," he pointed out softly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I sighed again.

"Hey, I'm going out with the Asuma, Kurenai, Anko, and Gai later this evening. Would you like to come? I'm sure they'd all love to see you again."

"Gai and Anko especially," I muttered. "No thanks, that'd be too much excitement for one day."

"Alright," Kakashi said as he stood up and put the dishes in the sink. I came over and took them from him.

"You go have fun. I'll wash these dishes," I told him.

He smiled and pulled his mask back on. He threw a goodbye over his shoulder as he left.

After the dishes were done, I went to the room that I had stayed in before I went to live with Kanaye. Sighing, I changed into the pajamas I still had in the closet. Lucky me, they still fit. I curled up in bed and fell asleep staring at the picture of Kanaye I had sitting on my bedside table.


	2. Reunited

"Well, if it isn't Hotaru."

"I looked down to see Mitarashi Anko standing in front of me. We had been on Orochimaru's team together. She was the only one with his seal, however.

"Good morning to you, too," I teased.

"What brings you back to Konoha so soon?" she asked.

"Ah, the list goes on and on," I said evasively.

"I see."

"Oh, Anko? Here so soon?" Kakashi asked as he came out the door.

"No, you're just bad at being on time!" she laughed.

"Where are you two going?" I asked.

"Oh, just on a little walk," Kakashi said, using the same tone I had.

I grinned impishly. "Well, don't let me get in your way. I'll be fine until you come back."

He didn't need any more prompting. They walked away together, hand in hand. Smirking, I went back inside and made a bowl of rice and cracked an egg on top of it. A knock sounded on the door when I was halfway finished with my bowl. Muttering unhappily about having my mealtime interrupted, I got up and answered it.

"HOTARU!" Gai yelled happily as soon as the door was open. He grabbed me and pulled me into a rib-crushing hug.

"Hello, Gai," I gasped.

When he finally put me down, I noticed someone standing behind him. He looked almost exactly like Gai, with thinner brows and more bandages. I also noticed that he was on crutches.

"What did you do to your look-alike there, Gai?" I asked.

"It was not Gai-sensei's fault!" the boy protested.

"Take it easy, Lee," Gai soothed. "He got into a fight with Gaara of the Desert."

"I've heard of him. What the hell were you thinking? Letting a kid like that fight Gaara," I chided.

"Lee's a better fighter that he seems," Gai defended his student, "and it was a Chuunin exam. I had no choice. We learned afterward that he had a beast sealed inside of him. I swear to you that I would never had let Lee fight Gaara if I had had a choice."

"It's okay, Gai. I understand," I interrupted.

"Well, we best be off. Tsunade doesn't want him to be too active," Gai sighed, looking crushed that he had to go.

"Alright, then. It was nice seeing you again and meeting you, Lee," I said, smiling pleasantly.

I watched them go for a little bit, then I went back inside to finish my meal. Cleaning up, I thought about what I wanted to do today. I decided to go see my old rival, Tsunade. No one, not even myself, really knew how the rivalry was started. I had a general idea of how it had ended, but I had been drunk, so it was very fuzzy.

I got up and opened the door. I found Kakashi on the other side with Anko. It looked like they had been about to kiss. I side stepped around them and pretended I hadn't seen anything. As soon I was out of hearing range, I began to giggle. I always did that, and Kakashi hated me for it. Clearing my throat, I composed myself and walked over to the hospital.

After letting the receptionist know what I was doing, I went in pursuit of my old friend. I found her in Naruto Uzumaki's room.

"There, that should do-Hotaru!" she exclaimed as she saw me enter the room.

"Huh? Who are you?" Naruto asked.

After getting another painfully tight hug, I turned to Naruto. "I'm Hatake Hotaru, Kakashi's little sister."

"Kakashi never told me he had a sister," Naruto said, slightly excited. "Could you tell me what's behind his mask, then?"

"Do you really want to know?" I sighed.

"Yes!"

"Really?"

"Extremely!"

"Alright, I'll tell you. It's...a secret!" I exclaimed.

"Dammit! You're as bad as Kakashi!" Naruto fumed.

Tsunade and I laughed as we exited the room. We walked down the hall until we found an empty room. She opened the door and led me inside.

"You must now give me every detail of your trip," she ordered.

So I sat down and told her everything. I explained how I went to every village in the land and asked around, to no avail. I then went into detail about everything I encountered, from giant tigers to dangerous assassins. She was enthralled by every detail.

"It's amazing how much you manage to live through!" she said as my tale came to an end. "how did you manage to not get sick?"

"Well, I did go to a bar and learned that pineapples make me throw up," I admitted.

"Ahh, I see. How long were you sick?"

"Eh, I'm going to guess a good eight hours of constantly throwing up," I guessed.

"Ouch."

"Yeah, my throat burned for three days after that."

We sat in silence for a while.

"Uh, so," I finally said, "I see they've made you Hokage."

"That they have! And she's the best damn Hokage we've had in a while!"

I looked up to see Jiraiya enter the room, wearing the same wide grin I remembered.

"Well, it certainly has been awhile since I've seen your ugly mug around here, Jiraiya," I teased.

"I wish I could say the same for you, but your mug isn't ugly," Jiraiya said happily. Then he turned to Tsunade. "How's Naruto?"

"He's doing fine," Tsunade promised. "He should be out of bed soon."

"Good."

"Oh dear. Please don't tell me he's your apprentice," I begged.

"That he is!" Jiraiya beamed.

"Oh no! Not another pervert!" I groaned.

We all laughed. I sighed and stood up.

"Well, I've gotta get going," I said regretfully. "I have other things to do today."

"Alright, well, come visit me again soon!" Tsunade said as she stood up to hug me.

"Take care!" Jiraiya said as he gave me a small squeeze.

I waved as I left the room. I took my time going down the hall and out the door. A breeze blew my auburn bangs out of my face, showing off both of my emerald eyes. I made my way over to a flower shop and purchased a bouquet of white roses. I then headed over to the edge of a village. There was a large pond surrounded by beautiful foliage. There sat a carved stone. I went and put the flowers next to the rock.

"I miss you, Kanaye," I whispered. "I wish you could be here to see the pond. It's the same we always snuck off to when we were younger."

A cherry blossom floated down from the tree above me and landed on the grave. This tree was the one we always sat under.

"You're wasting your breath, dearie. He can't hear you."

I whirled around to see a bent old woman behind me. She had piercing blue eyes and snow white hair. Though her skin was weathered and wrinkled, she looked as if she could have been beautiful at a younger age.

"Uh, I'm sorry, what did you say?" I asked.

"You're wasting your breath. You lover can't hear you."

"How do you know?" I countered.

"Why do you even bother to come talk to him?" the woman ignored my question and asked another one instead.

"I loved him. He died protecting me, so I feel obligated to come see him and let him know how much I appreciated it," I said flatly.

"Ah, but what if it was his fault you were in danger in the first place?"

I wasn't quite comprehending what she was saying.

She came closer and leaned in to whisper in my ear.

"What if he didn't really die?"


	3. Failure

I couldn't move. I couldn't think coherently. This possibility had never once crossed my mind. A thousand ways to beat my enemies and save my village had, but never this. Could Kanaye really be alive? Could his funeral have been staged?

"How do you-" I started to say.

But the old woman was gone. She moved fast and silent for one of her age. My brow furrowed as I pondered the many different ways it could have been done. Then I wondered if Kakashi had been in on it.

"Hotaru?"

I turned quickly to see Kakashi come out of the trees. Why did I feel so disappointed?

"Looking for someone else?" he asked quietly.

"It's possible," I finally admitted.

"I would be, too," he sighed, coming to stand behind me.

"I don't believe it. I won't believe it," I lied. "If Kanaye really loved me he would have told me he was alive already."

"Is that what you really think?" he murmured.

I didn't answer.

"Well, I best be off now. I'm meeting Jiraiya for lunch," he said after a pause. I didn't look up as he left. My head was still swimming with thoughts of my "dead" beloved. Shaking my head, I ran off into the forest, hoping to clear my mind. Guilt still gnawed at my brain. Were Kanaye really alive, he wouldn't have to hide if he hadn't met me.

I quickly wiped away a tear that had escaped from my carefully concealed emotions . It seemed that I caused trouble for anyone I met. I had gone almost three quarters of a year without hurting someone, and suddenly my mother winds up dead along with my step brother and cousins. Could things possibly get any worse?

_No, don't ask that!_ I screamed at myself. _Things _will_ get worse if you think that!_

I sighed as I stopped in an open area. To take my mind off of things, I started to climb up the tallest tree in the forest. For the amount of chakra I possessed and the number of jutsus I could perform, I had never quite mastered climbing trees using just my feet. All my concentration was needed to perform this feat.

I got half way up the tree when I began to think of how well Kanaye could do this. Suddenly I was falling hundreds of feet, the ground coming at me fast. I quickly turned and performed a few hand seals until a jet of air caught my fall. Shaking, I gently touched my feet to the ground.

"Idiot!" I growled to myself.

Muttering, I straightened up and began my climb again. I drowned out all the noises of the forest and concentrated on the sound of my feet slapping against the bark. My mind started to clear. Slowly at first, then soon my head was only filled with images of the sky. My spirit soared and I climbed faster. Just when I had almost reached the top, I saw a picture of my mother in the clouds. My memories came flooding back. I toppled down the tree once more.

It took me a little longer to react this time. I only managed to get out enough air to stop the fall from killing me. I landed on my arm with a sickening thud. A gasp of pain slipped though my lips.

"Hotaru!" a voice exclaimed worriedly.

I looked up to see Kakashi and Jiraiya running towards me. I smiled weakly at them.

"Hello, there," I said as weakly as my smile. "Fancy meeting you here."

"_Dobe!_ You could have killed yourself!" Kakashi shouted.

"Kakashi, don't yell at people who have just fallen out of a tree," Jiraiya scolded lightly. Kakashi wordlessly picked me up and ran me over to the hospital wing. Sakura was there with Tsunade. She must have come to check on her teammates.

"Geez, Tsunade. Two meetings within an hour. I know you missed me but this is getting to be too much," I joked. No one laughed.

"Get her on a bed," Tsunade ordered. As soon as Kakashi set me down she was examining my wounds. My eyes began to close, so Sakura came over to hold them open for examination. What she saw there made her scream.

Shit. "Oh yeah, sorry. My eyes look like those of the Ten-Tails whenever I get badly injured."

"Why?" Jiraiya asked.

"Long story," I answered flatly.

"Well, that's a useful bit of information." Jiraiya finally broke the silence.

"I never told anyone because I was afraid no one would like me if they knew," I explained. Then I laughed once mirthlessly. "Didn't really work , though."

"Just shut up and stay still," Tsunade snapped. She shooed everyone out of the room while she healed my broken ribs. I grimaced but said nothing.

"What were you doing that caused you to inflict this much pain upon yourself?" she asked softly.

"Trying to work on my tree-climbing skills," I sighed.

She glared at me.

"What? I'm telling the truth! I was trying to work on climbing trees with my chakra," I said, sitting up. My outburst caused me to have a coughing fit.

"Your trying to do too much! Now shut up and lie still!" Tsunade reprimanded.

I did as she said and tried to hide my looks of pain as my broken bones were healed. I began drifting off into a world of black. I was out cold very soon.

* * *

"Are you sure she's alright?" Kakashi's words woke me from my dreamless slumber.

"Yes, Kakashi. She's fine," Tsunade answered impatiently. "If she has a beast locked inside of her, she'll be fine."

"Then why did you bother healing her bones?" Kakashi asked slowly.

"Well, we couldn't have everyone else knowing that!" she snapped.

"Has Kanaye been in to see her?" Kakashi whispered after a pause.

I couldn't stay silent any longer. "Are you saying he's not dead?"

They both whirled around. "No, of course not," Kakashi said. "I forgot for a moment that he was dead."

"You're a really bad liar," I muttered, glaring at him.

"How are you feeling?" Tsunade interrupted. She began fluffing my pillows and feeling my forehead.

"Just fine," I said angrily.

"Good. Eat this." she handed me a bowl filled with ramen broth. I only counted seven noodles. Oh, now she was feeding me baby food. Great.

"We'll let you eat in peace," Kakashi said sweetly as he and Tsunade backed out the door. I strained to hear what they were saying, but they were smart enough to move away from the door.

I sniffed the broth. Tsunade had added a sleeping potion to the broth. She wasn't going to make me forget their conversation that easily.

I stood up slowly and walked over to the window. I poured the soup into the flowerbed and watched the trees sway in the wind. Suddenly I saw Naruto walking in the street. An idea formed in my head.

"Hey, Naruto!" I called.

He looked up and ran over as soon as he saw me.

"Hey Hotaru! What can I do for you?" he said, beaming.

"You can take this money and buy me a bowl of ramen. There's enough there to buy yourself one, too," I added as I handed him the cash.

His eyes lit up like it was his birthday. "Thank you so much Hotaru!" he shouted as he ran off. I smirked. Such endless energy is wasted on such pointless things.

It only took him about five minutes to come back with the food. He had made sure to keep every drop inside the bowl.

"Thank you," was all I said.

"Thank _you_," was all he said.

After I was done with my soup, I gave him the bowl to take back to the ramen hut. I had once saved the owner's life, so he agreed to let me take the bowl out of the hut as long as I brought them back. My note to him had been slipped in with the money.

Stretching, I walked stiffly back to my bed. I laid down and stared at the ceiling. My mind raced with thoughts of my "deceased" husband again. I wondered if I would ever figure out if he were really alive or not. I probably wouldn't until I was dying and he came to see me right before I died.

I laughed. Me and my wild imagination.

A knock came from the door, reviving me from my thoughts.

"Come in," I said hoarsely.

Sakura walked in with a plate of sushi.

"I brought you some food," she said quietly. She looked nervous to be there.

"Thank you very much," I smiled warmly. "Ahh tuna! My favorite!"

She sat tentatively on the end of my bed and tucked her knees under her chin as I ate.

Hotaru?" she finally asked.

"Yes?" I said, looking up from my plate.

"Uh, I was wondering if...well...you see, Sasuke ran away last night to find Orochimaru," she began, tears forming in her eyes."And I was wondering if you had any advice on how to heal a broken heart."

I sighed. "There really isn't a way to heal a broken heart, unless you fall in love with someone else. The best way to deal with it is to tell yourself that he left _because _he loved you. Tell yourself that if he hadn't left, you would have died. It makes the pain more bearable, trust me."

Sakura started to cry softly. I took her in my arms and rocked her slowly back and forth.

"He asked me to protect you before he left," I whispered in her ear.

She looked up at me. "Really?"

I nodded. Her eyes became dryer and she wiped the remaining tear off her face.

"I'm going to prove to Sasuke that I can be a powerful kunoichi. I'll become strong and beautiful so he'll notice me and come back to me!" She paused for a moment, then her face lit up. "I'll become Hokage Tsunade's apprentice!" she exclaimed excitedly.

I smiled encouragingly at her. "Tsunade would appreciate that very much."

"I'll go ask her right now! Oh and Hotaru?" she added. "Thank you."

I slumped back into my pillows suddenly exhausted. Maybe the sleep concoction in my soup would have done me good. I closed my eyes and drifted off into the most beautiful nightmare I'd ever had.


	4. Revealed

_Hotaru..._

I looked around, but no one was there.

_Hotaru..._

I turned around to see Kanaye standing behind me. His perfect face was more beautiful than ever, his teeth whiter than snow. Oh, and his eyes! They were still the same color as a clear blue sky.

There he was, with all of his perfections, right in front of me. I began to run towards him. But he seemed to get no closer, so I ran faster. I kept running, his face the only thing visible in the darkness. I ran until I collapsed on the ground, breathless.

"Kanaye," I gasped, looking up.

But it wasn't my Kanaye I saw. In his place stood a man with cold, black sockets for eyes and a bluish-grayish complexion. His chest was a blackened, bloody mess. I cringed as he spoke.

"Hotaru," he moaned hoarsely. "How could you do this to me? How could you let me die?"

"Hotaru!"

I looked over and saw Kakashi. His mask was missing and his tattoo was revealed. It made him look like his lower face was missing, leaving only hanging flesh, bones, muscles and blood. The tattoo had been made to make the muscles and bones move grotesquely whenever he talked. Then I realized it wasn't just a tattoo. The flesh was really missing. I screamed.

"How could you have let him destroy my face like this, Hotaru? How?" he shouted accusingly.

Tears streamed down my face as I got up and ran away from the two men. Suddenly the ground gave way beneath me, and I was falling through darkness. I landed on an ocean and looked up to see a black sky. I sighed with relief at the utter silence of this place. I shifted my weight and the frozen sea shattered. I plunged into the icy waters. As I began to swim to the surface, hands grabbed my ankles. I shrieked and looked down to see all the faces of everyone who had died because of me. There were a lot more than I expected. Soon they were all grabbing me and pulling me down. My shrill cries and thrashing did nothing to prevent them from dragging me under, all the while saying my name.

_Hotaru..._

_ Hotaru..._

"Hotaru! HOTARU!"

I opened my eyes to see Kakashi standing over me. Four men were holding me down while Tsunade tried to fix the boned I had re-broken. I was still writhing around, so I stilled to make it easier for her. My heart throbbed and my throat was sore. Kakashi began stroking my hair to calm me further. I buried my face in his chest, taking shuddering breath after shuddering breath.

"Dammit, Hotaru! What the hell were dreaming about?" Tsunade yelled.

Tears pricked my eyes as I shook my head. Tsunade sighed and shooed the other men away.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper. It's not your fault."

I lifted my head and looked at Kakashi. I pulled his mask down from the top to inspect his tattoo. It was a tattoo and not real. I sighed with relief and slumped back in my pillow. Kakashi's eyes glittered with realization. He knew what my nightmare had been about. It wasn't the first time it had happened.

"Well, we'll be right outside the door if you need us," Tsunade finally said. They both left and shut the door softly. I rolled over and looked out the window. The stars were beautiful tonight. Every one shone bright and twinkling. I smiled. Despite the horrors of the world, there was still some beauty left in it.

* * *

"Do you think she's awake?"

"I don't know. You wanna check?"

"Why don't you?"

"How's about you both let me sleep in peace?" I growled, causing Konohamaru and Naruto to scream. I smirked. "Gotcha."

"Uh, we just wanted to, uh, kinda...get your autograph...if that's, uh, all right with you," Naruto stuttered.

"Y-yeah, what he said!" Konohamaru added.

"Really?" I said, not really believing him.

"Yeah! You're so cool! You're a legend! Everyone knows how you tried to take on the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox on your own when you were ten!" Konohamaru exclaimed.

"Oh really?" I said, a little impressed.

"Yeah! You better believe it!" Naruto said as he handed me a piece of paper and a writing utensil. I chuckled and put my signature on the paper. The two miscreants were awestruck when I gave them the paper. Before they could start fighting, I took it back and signed the bottom half, then split the paper and gave one half to each of them.

"T-thank you, Hotaru-sama!" they shouted as they ran off. Tsunade came in soon afterward.

"Having fun being famous?" she joked.

"But of course. I'm not having fun being stuck in the infirmary, however," I said pointedly.

"You have to stay one more day so I can make sure you're 100% better," she ordered.

I sighed. This was crap.

"Uh Hotaru? Can I ask you something?"

"You just did, but go ahead," I replied.

"Do you really have the Ten-Tailed Demon Beast inside of you?" she was quick with her question, which was good, because I hate it when people drag things out longer than they have to.

"Yep. I've had it since the day I went to go kill my father. It's become so accustomed to me that my eyes turn into the eye the Ten-Tails has whenever I'm angry or injured really badly. I also know how to use the Sage of Six Paths' Chibaku Tensei jutsu. The jutsu came with the beast, for some reason."

"But how? How did whoever seal it inside you even get it in the first place?"

"Well, that's a bit of a long story. You see, my mother was raped by a descendant of the Sage of Six-Paths, which caused her to to conceive me. So I'm only really Kakashi's half-sister, even though I look like his dad and our mom. Anyway, the day I was born, the man who was my father was there. He had sworn to make my life a living hell. Unfortunately, my mother died giving birth to me. I think my dad never forgave me for taking her life, or maybe he didn't like the fact that I wasn't really his daughter. Whatever the reason, he always gave Kakashi more love and attention. It was very hard on a young girl without a mother. I ran away from home when I was five. Sometime after that, my father killed himself, which I always thought had to do with me.

"So, not only did I have the weight of being the reason my mom was dead on my shoulders, I now had to deal with the death of the man who had tried to love me as a father on my shoulders. That was a lot for a five-year-old to bear. I suddenly got a burning desire to kill the man who had raped my mother. It disgusted me to think of _him_ as my father. I asked around and found out that he was from the Village Hidden in the Rain. After a year, I thought that the problems I had had in my life would finally be over.

"Well, it turned out to be just the opposite. Not only did I destroy half the village, I had used so much chakra that I had summoned the Ten-Tails. I was then summoned to the land where the beast had come from and had it sealed inside of me. I had a frequent urge to kill people, and I did.

"Devastated, I went to the Third Hokage and asked him about my problem. He told me all about the Beast's powers and what it had done. I resolved never to use my chakra ever again in fear of hurting anyone else. But I soon found out that I had no control over the beast. I'm sure you remember that I was almost banished from the village." I paused as she nodded, then continued.

"Then one day, Minato Namikaze came along. He helped me learn how to control my the Ten-Tails so I could try to be a normal child. He couldn't help me forget the faces of everyone I had killed, however."

"So that's why you idolized him so much," Tsunade breathed.

"Exactly," I answered. "Which is also why I was so mad at Kakashi when he was chosen to be on Minato's team."

"So you went back to live with Kakashi when you came back?"

"Yes, of course. No one else would've taken in a demon child like me unless they were my kin, and Kakashi was the only close kin I had left." Tsunade looked confused, so I explained. "I still had family in the Rain Village, but they all loathed me, so I couldn't go there. The only one left to turn to was Kakashi. He reluctantly took me in after much persuading. We threw aside our differences and acted like real siblings after Obito was killed. We've become very close since then.

"And then came Kanaye. He was the only person besides Kakashi who understood me and liked me for who I was. Not for my breasts and my ass, like everyone else did. He wasn't on my team, but we still became very close. During the battle of the Nine-Tails, he got thrown into a tree and injured very badly. I was so mad that I went to face the fox on my own. I weakened him enough for the Fourth Hokage to capture the fox and seal him within Naruto. I'm sure you remember me being in the hospital for two weeks."

"Of course I do! You had to be under constant watch for a week so you wouldn't kill yourself with your own hands. Oh, do I remember it!" Tsunade exclaimed.

I chuckled. "Well, now you know why. I was devastated when I woke up and found out Minato was dead. I now only had two people that were close to me in my life, and I vowed I would do anything to protect them.

"Pretty soon, I fell in love with Kanaye and he felt the same way about me. We went to live in the forest when I was seventeen and he was eighteen. While out there, I discovered my mother's house. Turns out she wasn't dead, but went into a comatose state after I was born. Afraid of showing her face, she hid herself in the forest and wasn't found out until I saw her. I was so angry I ran away before she could explain anything to me. I went and checked up on her every few months, staying hidden in the trees so she wouldn't know I was there. I stopped coming the day I found out I was pregnant."

At this Tsunade's eyes widened. "You had a _baby? _Without telling me?!"

"Just wait and hear me out. Three months after my discovery a man came to our house. When I came out he attacked me. Kanaye came and protected the baby and me. Soon Kakashi came and joined him. Kakashi was cursed and Kanaye was killed. I protected the two men, but the baby died in my womb. Just before I blacked out, the man said he would be back in four years to finish me off."

"What was the man's name? How did you find out the baby was dead? How did you get it out?" Tsunade was full of questions now that my tale was done.

"The umbilical cord broke off during the fight. I could feel it kicking and fighting to get air, and it nearly killed me. I don't know the man's name, he never said. I went back to my mother and asked her to take it out. She'd hated me for killing it and Kanaye as well as mangling Kakashi's face. I left as soon as I could and hadn't talked to her since the abortion."

"Is that why you stayed hidden whenever you went to see your mother?" Tsunade knew how to ask personal questions.

"M hm," I hummed.

"I see. Well, that certainly clears up a lot," Tsunade said after a long silence. She stood up and left the room without another word, leaving me with a head full of dark, depressing memories and only silence to comfort me.


	5. Mission

"Hey! Hey! Hotaru! You'l1 never believe it! I'm going on a secret mission!"

I glared at Naruto. "Well, it's not so secret now, is it?" I growled.

Tsunade stepped into the room behind Naruto.

"I would like you to go with him," she declared. "I know how badly our village is doing right now, but I think you'd be the best for this mission."

"This has to do with Orochimaru, doesn't it?" I said flatly.

"Yes, it does," she admitted. "Besides myself and Jiraiya, you are the only one who can fight with Orochimaru and live."

"I am aware of that," I answered coolly. So I'm not allowed out of my fucking bed, then suddenly I'm aloud to go fight my old sensei Orochimaru?! What is up with Tsunade these days?

"C'mon! Let's go!" Naruto shouted as he pulled my arm. I pulled my arm free and punched him, causing him to fly down the hallway.

"I'M COMING!! DON'T RUSH ME!!" I shouted as he flew. Fuming, I stormed out of the hospital, followed closely by a muttering Naruto.

"Damn bitch! She didn't have to hit me so hard," he growled.

"I can here you, you know," I sighed.

I could almost here the blood rush to his face as he hastily apologized. He kept quiet until we reached the gate, where Shikamaru, Kiba, Chouji, and Neji were waiting for us. Everyone's eyes widened when they saw me in front of Naruto.

"B-but, Hokage Tsunade said she couldn't spare any of her jounin ninjas!" Shikamaru exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, suddenly she can spare a ninja who's been stuck in her bed for a week," I muttered.

"You may continue to lead this squad, however. Don't let me get in your way."

"Uh, please pardon me for asking this, Hotaru-sama, but your arm is still wrapped up. A-are you sure you're fit to come on this mission?" Shikamaru asked tentatively.

"Of course I am! Do you think I'd be stupid enough to come if I wasn't?" I snapped.

He shook his head vigorously, then continued to explain the strategy.

"Alright, Kiba will be in the most crucial position. That's right, you!" Shikamaru ordered as Kiba gave him a surprised look. "You're always traveling all year throughout the nation of fire, and you know our terrain very well. Also, you've got a keen sense of smell, so it'll make it easier to track Sasuke...this also means that it's easier to detect booby traps from the enemies' scent. Second is me, the squad leader. I can give orders according to the situation behind Kiba, and anyone behind me can see my hand signals.

"Third is Naruto. You've got quick reactions, so it's best to keep you in a position where you can assist both front and back. You'll be the cover and assistance, especially since you've got your shadow clones. Right behind you will be Hotaru, since you have even quicker reactions than Naruto. Also, you will be able to hear any attacks from the sides better and be there to cover and assist if any of the fights are to advanced for Naruto. I assumed you wouldn't want to be the center of the group and let us learn how to fight our own battles.

"Fifth is Chouji. You don't have the speed but you've got the most hit power in our squad. Hotaru, Kiba, Naruto, and I will create openings, and you will charge in to finish the game. Basically, you're the striker. Lastly, I'll place Neji on the squad's tail. I'll let you handle the most difficult task of rear scout. With your Byakugan, you can always check for the squad's blind spots.

"Now for lookout orders. Kiba, since you are in front, you will keep your concentration on forward position. I will spread my vision at a wider angle. Naruto will cover the left, and Chouji the right. Hotaru can cover above. Because I know you'll be able to sense an attack from above, you're the best for this position. Neji, you have the task of covering the entire rear section with your Byakugan.

"Now, we're almost ready to set out," he concluded. "Before we go, I'd like everyone to take out your weapons for me to see. I want to check the strength of our squad."

Sighing, I showed him the contents of my jacket that resembled the robes the Akatsuki members wore. However, it did not have red clouds. Instead, there was a thin green border on every edge of the jacket. Anyway, I also showed him the inside of the pouch attached to my right thigh. For good measure, I showed him the sword I kept in my shoe, which was just tall enough to hide all of the sword except for the hilt. This made it easier to grab.

After his weapons were examined, Kiba gave me a suspicious look. "If you're not careful, you might get mistaken for an Akatsuki member."

I chuckled at his ignorance. "First of all, the Akatsuki have red on their robes, not green. Secondly, none of the Akatsuki members wear their robes open, and even if they did, none of then wear a cropped green tank top, fishnets, black shorts, or a choker with a green star charm on black velvet. Now, can you see how it would be impossible to mistake me for an Akatsuki member?"

Kiba nodded, slightly embarrassed.

"Alright! Let's go!" Shikamaru commanded.

"Wait!"

I turned around to see Sakura standing next to Lee, who had come to see us off.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed.

"The Hokage already told me the story. Not even you could stop Sasuke, correct?"

Sakura looked down with tears in her eyes.

"Looks like we're gonna have to take Sasuke by force. Your work is finished, Sakura."

The tears poured out of her eyes."Naruto, I beg you!! Please, bring Sasuke back!!"

Naruto stood dazed as she continued to sob, "I-I couldn't stop him! It's up to you now to bring him back! You're the only one who can do it, Naruto!"

Naruto was quiet for a moment. "You really like Sasuke, don't you, Sakura?" he murmured.

Sakura continued to sob as she shook uncontrollably.

"I know how much pain you're in because of him. I understand, Sakura-chan."

She looked up at him.

"Don't worry!! I'll bring him back!! Promise of a lifetime!!" he shouted as he gave her a thumbs-up.

"N-Naruto. Thank you," Sakura huffed.

"Okay!! Let's GO!!" Naruto shouted.

"Well, we've wasted quite enough time already...let's hurry," Shikamaru finally decided.

And with that, our squad headed out.

* * *

"Hnn, hnn, hnn!"

"What is it, Akamaru?" Kiba asked the puppy he had tucked in his jacket. He began to sniff, also.

"Damn," he muttered.

"What? What is it?" Shikamaru demanded.

"Blood. Lots of it," Kiba added grimly. "A fight's going on up there."

Akamaru whined.

"Yes I know," Kiba told him. "I can smell five ninjas, and two of them stopped moving!"

"Sasuke has Orochimaru's helpers with him," I growled.

"Shit! This isn't good," Shikamaru muttered.

"C'mon! We gotta go after Sasuke!"

"Shut up, Naruto! You're not our leader, Shikamaru is!" Kiba snapped.

"If Sasuke has help, a fight could be dangerous. But, at the speed they're moving, if we stop, we'll catch them too late," I warned Shikamaru.

"Fine!" he snapped. "We'll go after Sasuke!"

"Alright!" Naruto shouted. "Whoever these bastards with Sasuke are, I'm gonna beat the hell out of them with my new jutsu!"

I wondered if Kakashi had showed him the Chidori, or if it was just Sasuke who knew it.

"Hey Naruto, what's this new jutsu of yours called?" I asked.

"Uh, I can't remember, but the Pervy Sennin taught it to me!" Naruto said proudly.

I smiled. I had called Jiraiya a perverted Sennin when I was his age, too. My smile was quickly replaced with a frown when I realized Jiraiya might have taught him the Rasengan.

Kiba's head jerked up suddenly. "STOP!!"

The entire party halted quickly and stood on the same tree branch.

"Explosive seals," Neji said as we jumped to the ground. "There are five of them."

"Which means someone made a hasty barrier seal," I commented.

"Barrier seal?" Chouji asked.

"If you enter the area within the trap-type seals, you activate it," I explained. "Let's just say, you don't want to activate them."

"What she says is true." Shikamaru backed me up. "I read about them in a book my dad gave me."

"Damn, that means we have no other option than to flank it," Kiba growled.

"That's correct," Shikamaru said.

We made our way carefully around the border of the seals. The area was surrounded by thick undergrowth and made the going shitty.

"This sucks," Kiba muttered. Then he looked at Naruto's feet. "Hey, Naruto! There's a wire right under your foot!" He warned.

"Damn, they really don't want us to find them," Naruto said as he bent down to examine the wire. He continued to step over the wire.

"Naruto, wait!" I shouted, noticing only too late that there was another camouflaged wire right under his foot.

"Waaa-" Naruto stopped abruptly.

"I told you to be careful!" Shikamaru snapped. He had performed the Kage-Mane No Jutsu, or Shadow Copy No Jutsu, just in time.

"This might be a hastily made trap, but it's a good one," I murmured as I examined the area for any more traps.

"That must mean they're resting. Either they're wounded or it's a trap," Neji declared. "Byakugan!!"

We stood still as he searched for the group.

"Caught them," he said dangerously.

"Alright!! Let's go get Sasuke and bring him back!" Naruto exclaimed.

"No, we're not gonna be hasty. As soon as I come up with a strategy, we'll engage our target!" Shikamaru ordered.

"Shikamaru," I said.

He looked up at me.

"There is a certain tension in the air around them. I'll bet you anything they came across a couple of jounins and had to use their level two Curse. I guarantee Orochimaru gave them those. They will be extremely weak, but even then they'll still be more than a match for you guys," I explained.

"Well, I bet you could take all of them out with one swipe," Shikamaru said confidently.

I shook my head.

"These are four enemies I cannot kill."


	6. Secrets

Shikamaru looked at me blankly. "What do you mean?"

I sighed. "I worked with these four ninjas once. They became like family to me. Then I realized Orochimaru's real purpose for keeping me." My face darkened as I continued. "He hadn't given me the seal, and the twin brothers, Sakon and Ukon, always told me that it was a matter of time. However, one day, Jiroubou and the other two, Kidoumaru and Tayuya, took me aside and told me the truth. Orochimaru planned to kill me and take over my body. If he put the seal on me, it would ruin the tailed beast I have living inside my body, thus making it unusable.

"So, I ran away. The others were ordered to stop me, but since we had grown so close, none of us could kill the other. I was so hurt and offended that they would keep this a secret for so long, but I knew that I could never kill them. So I vowed that if we ever fought, that I would not hurt them, and they did the same. I can't go back on that promise, even if the need is dire. But, if things do get to the point where one of you might die, then I will step in and finish it, only because that is my duty as a ninja."

"W-what tailed beast do you have inside of you?" Shikamaru asked tentatively.

I turned away from him as I said, "The Ten-Tailed Demon Beast."

His expression was stunned. "H-how did you-"

"I will not explain how I got it or why I have it. Just know that it's there," I snapped. "I will leave you to come up with a plan."

After a moment, he gathered everyone back in a circle. He explained his plan, then added, "Hotaru will not be joining this fight. She will watch from a distance, then step in if it is necessary."

"WHAT?!?! But we need you!!" Naruto yelled.

"This fight is a little too personal for me," I said quietly.

"Humph! More like you're too weak!" he muttered darkly.

"Huh. Maybe I am too weak. Which is why I'm counting on you guys to be able to finish them off," I murmured.

"Huh?"

They all looked confused by my words.

"Uh, alright! Let's get going!" Shikamaru ordered, breaking the awkward silence.

They took off, while I stayed a few yards behind them. They split off into two groups, and I picked a tree to hide in that was next to the clearing where my former comrades were resting. Next to Tayuya was a coffin, where I assumed Sasuke was.

"So, you already advanced his seal to level two. Impressive," I muttered.

Suddenly, Sakon stood up and threw a kunai with three exploding tags at the tree where Neji and Shikamaru were hiding next to. Both ninjas flew through the air and landed a few feet in front of The Sound Four.

"Well, well. Looks like we got two bugs instead of rabbits," Sakon sneered.

"Wait! Wait! We just want to negotiate, not fight!" Shikamaru begged pitifully.

"Dammit, Shikamaru! What the hell are you talking about?!" I growled to myself.

Kidoumaru smirked. "Then what are these for?"

Pulling the strings that were in his hand, he sent the remainder of the squad tumbling into the clearing. Just as they landed, Kiba threw the smoke bomb that was in his hand. Kidoumaru just laughed.

"What good is a smoke bomb? I have these strings laid out all over the place."

"Dammit!" Naruto and I said at the same time.

"Huh," Shikamaru huffed. "So you purposely made those wires visible. Well, I've never heard of a triple trap before."

"You're all gonna be-" Kidoumaru began. Just then, his body locked up, along with the others.

Now it was Shikamaru's turn to smirk. "You should also know that there are these kinds of techniques...heh, thanks for falling right into our trap."

"Well..." Sakon said. "I must return your words. For I have "these kinds of techniques"..."

I realized that Ukon was no longer attached to Sakon's body. I heard shruiken whizzing through the trees as they closed in on Shikamaru. In order to protect himself, Shikamaru had to release his hold on the four ninjas. As soon as Sakon did that, Jiroubou used Doton Kekkai-Doroudoumu, or Earth Barrier-Clay Prison, on the squad in front of him. This trapped then within a circle surrounded by large slabs of broken rock. The rocks then formed a dome around them and made escape impossible.

"You guys go on ahead, I'll finish them off," Jiroubou ordered.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Jumping from my perch, I landed in front of the ninjas, preventing them from passing.

"Ahh, Hotaru! Come to join the fun? We were about to kill these ninjas," Sakon purred.

"That's exactly why I'm here," I said coolly, my face an unreadable mask.

"Well, you're too late, their chakra's almost gone," Jiroubou snickered.

"SOLDIER PILLS!!" I screamed at the clay dome.

Tayuya laughed. "Soldier pills won't do-"

BOOM! The noise inside the clay echoed throughout the clearing, but the pills were no good, as Tayuya had said. Just as Jiroubou began to laugh, I ran into his side and knocked him away from the dome. This broke the jutsu and allowed everyone to get out. They all stood behind the rubble and glared at the Sound Four ninjas in front of them.

"What?! You're _helping _these losers, Hotaru?" Tayuya shouted.

"I wouldn't call them losers if I were you, Tayuya," I spat.

"WHAT?! You _know_ these ninjas?!" Naruto yelled.

I let out a mirthless laugh. "Why do you think I wouldn't fight?"

"HEY!!!" Naruto screamed as the other three enemies took off. Dammit, we were taking too long.

"Shit! What are we gonna do now?" Kiba said angrily.

"We'll split up," Shikamaru decided. "Hotaru, you'll act as co-leader! Take Neji, Kiba and Chouji and go after Sasuke! The rest of us will stay here and take care of this loser!"

"Ha! You really think that splitting up will help you find Sasuke? Man, you really are a stupid leader," Jiroubou taunted. "I'll kill any trash taking orders from a loser like you! You'll never accomplish anything by splitting up!"

"Jiroubou, I wouldn't do that if I were you, _bakka_!" I warned.

"And why not? You think that these scum can take me?"

No, it's th-"

"Hey, you shut up, you dumbass! I'm gonna-"

"HE'S MINE!!"

"_That's_ what I was trying to warn you about," I muttered.

"I SAID, HE'S MINE!!" Chouji shouted even louder when everyone looked at him.

"Chouji..." Shikamaru began.

"You guys, go! You need to get Sasuke and bring him back. If you don't go soon, you'll never catch him," Chouji growled. "I can take him!"

"Are you sure?" Shikamaru asked.

"You guys take these," he said as he handed Shikamaru a bag of soldier pills and ignored his concern. "You'll need 'em. Besides, I still have my new move," he added smugly.

"But, Chouji, that move.... Alright! Everyone eat these! There a gift from Chouji," Shikamaru ordered.

And with that we were off. I could tell that everyone felt bad about leaving Chouji behind to face Jiroubou on his own. I felt kind of bad myself, and I barely knew Chouji.

"Shikamaru, I overheard those conversations you and Chouji had. He seemed to have a trump card that he's carrying with him, but does he really have a chance?" Neji inquired.

"Yeah, what is this "new move" of his that he's so proud of?" Kiba joined in.

"Chouji brought blue, yellow, and red tablets with him on this mission. They're top secret pills of the Akimichi clan that give the user enormous boosts of power," Shikamaru half explained.

"So _that's_ why he's so sure of himself!" Naruto realized excitedly.

"Shikamaru, don't tell me these are the pills I'm thinking of," I muttered in his ear so no one could hear.

"Yes, Hotaru," he gulped, "they are the exact same pills you're thinking of."

"But those pills-"

"Yes, I know," Shikamaru interrupted. "And Chouji knows that, too."

"Damn," I muttered. "He really is brave."

"That he is," Shikamaru whispered.

I fell back and ran along with everyone else. Kiba kept giving me suspicious looks, as if I were about to turn on them any second now. He talked with Akamaru, but I couldn't catch what they were saying, partly because I don't speak dog.

"Don't you think it's a bit strange that we haven't encountered any traps yet?" Neji called out.

"Huh, that's because they think that we won't win. Well, they really made a mistake there," I added.

"YEAH!! Damn right, Hotaru! They made a HUGE mistake underestimating us!" Naruto yelled.

"Hey, I have an idea," Shikamaru said. Everyone looked at him as he continued. "One of us could use the Transform Technique and pretend to be Jiroubou. Then they could catch up to the Sound Four nins and take the coffin containing Sasuke. Knowing them, they'd have Jiroubou carry it anyway. So, as soon as you get the coffin, you come back here and we take it back to the village."

"I'll do it," Naruto said.

"No, I will," I argued. "I'm the one who knows the most about Jiroubou."

"Then it's settled," Shikamaru declared. "Hotaru will do it."

"Alright," I said as I transformed. They all looked stunned at how much I looked like my old teammate.

"I'm off. Wish me luck!" I said as I ran off.

They waited until I was out of sight to continue. I began to focus on the people ahead of me.

"God dammit, where did that fatass get to?" Tayuya exclaimed, as bad-mouthed as I remembered her to be.

"Don't worry. He's coming now," Kidoumaru soothed. I guess he hadn't told her his real feelings for her, even after elven years.

"Ahh, Jiroubou, how nice of you to show up," Sakon said in the same smooth, calm voice that I recalled so well. I had had a crush on him until I left the group and found out he didn't really like me all that much.

"What the hell took you so long, dumbass?!" Tayuya cursed.

"That _dobe_ Hotaru held me up," I muttered. "But don't worry, she's been taken care of."

"Good. Now you can take this shit back." Tayuya threw me the coffin.

I ran along with them, slowly falling back so as to make my getaway more stealthy. I was right next to Kidoumaru when his head suddenly snapped up to face me. He began to chuckle evilly.

"Y'know, Hotaru, you may be good at jutsu, but you can't ever hide that tattoo of the Ten-Tail's eye on your neck!"

Right before he punched me, I dropped back and he hit a tree instead. The whole company stopped. I released the jutsu and stood facing my former teammates properly.

"What the fucking hell did you do to Jiroubou, you bitch?" Tayuya screamed.

"I didn't do anything, dumbass!" I yelled back. "I made a promise and I kept it! It wasn't me who took on Jiroubou!"

"You seriously trusted one of your little dorks to take care of Jiroubou? You really don't have any common sense," Sakon taunted.

"Oh really? Then why is Jiroubou dead?" I bluffed.

"Huh, I knew we shouldn't have trusted that fatass with anything important," Tayuya growled just as the squad caught up with me. I turned around to berate them, then realized it wasn't the squad.

"Hello, Hotaru," Kimimaro said. "I haven't seen you in a while."


	7. Fighting

"Well, well," I chuckled. "I was wondering when Orochimaru would send you.

"Oh, he didn't send me," Kimimaro said. "I chose to go."

The rest of the squad halted behind me and practically gawked at their newest enemy. I only just realized Kidoumaru and Sakon had left, and that Neji and Kiba were gone as well. I wondered how many others would die before this mission ended.

"B-but, Kimimaro, how did you-" Tayuya stuttered.

"I'm not here in body. I'm here using sheer willpower," Kimimaro said expressionlessly.

"Wha?" the two remaining ninjas behind me gasped.

"Are you here to prove that you would make a good vessel for Orochimaru, even with one foot in the grave?" I sighed.

Out of nowhere, a fist slammed into my jaw. I flew into a tree and landed hard on a branch. As I rubbed my jaw back to life, I looked up to see Kimimaro with the coffin behind Tayuya a little farther off.

"Shit," I muttered as I spat out a mouthful of blood.

"The only reason I have yet to kill you and you companions, wherever they may be, Tayuya," Kimimaro said just loud enough for me to here, "is because you still have a mission to complete. Now, I'll deliver the vessel to Orochimaru while you finish off this trash."

"HEY!! Give Sasuke back!" Naruto shouted angrily.

As Naruto began to chase Kimimaro, Tayuya jumped up and punched him into Shikamaru. They both landed in the tree next to mine and stood up slowly.

"Fucking goddammit!!" Naruto exclaimed.

Shikamaru began formulating a plan as Tayuya pulled out her flute.

"Shit! I'll clean the three of you up easily!" Tayuya promised.

She stood and analyzed us for a little bit. Then Shikamaru and Naruto jumped at her.

"It's two on one! We've got the advantage so this shouldn't be too difficult! Let's get her, Naruto!" Shikamaru yelled.

"ALRIGHT!" Naruto agreed.

I stood up slowly as they ran towards Tayuya. My head throbbed from where it had hit the tree, and my vision was a little fuzzy.

"HA! You trash won't make a difference, no matter how many of you there are!" she taunted.

"Don't underestimate our teamwork!" Shikamaru threw back.

"Here we go!" Naruto announced.

"COME ON!" Tayuya challenged.

Shikamaru pulled out a kunai and attacked Tayuya. She parried it with her flute.

"Naruto, NOW!" Shikamaru ordered.

"EAT THIS, BITCH!!"

Naruto ran at Tayuya with his fist ready to strike. She looked up and prepared for it, then looked surprised when Naruto went over her and ran in the direction that Kimimaro had taken.

"Shit! Naruto, stop!" I yelled after him. Cursing myself, I bolted in the same direction and hoped Shikamaru could take care of Tayuya on his own. _ Goddammit, I should have warned him about Tayuya's powers! _I thought angrily. However, Naruto was in more danger than Shikamaru at the moment.

"Naruto, get your ass back here!" I ordered the orange-clad figure in front of me.

He stopped and turned to look at me with a fury in his eyes that I knew too well.

"Don't stop me," he growled.

"There's something you should know about Kimimaro before you go-"

"I don't give a damn! I'm not even sure I can trust you anymore! I was told stories about how strong and brave you were. Now all I see is a coward! How do you know your husband didn't just leave you 'cause he couldn't stand you?!" Naruto exclaimed as he ran off again.

His words stung so much I felt physical pain. I felt as if I were about to throw up my shattered heart. The only part of my brain that was really my own told me not to believe his words, and I willed myself to listen.

_How can you be sure what he says is true?_ Its voice rang in my ears as if It were really talking to me and not just sealed away inside of me.

_Goddamn you and your uncanny knack for speaking up at the wrong time!_ I growled. _What the hell do you want _now_?_

_ Why, I only came to make you see the truth. Just think about it for a moment. Suppose Kanaye really _did _fake his own funeral. Why hasn't he come back yet?_

_ H-he's staying away because he loves me! He wants to protect me so there won't be another incident like the one two years ago!_

_ Ahh, but do you really believe that? No, of course you don't. You know no one really likes you. Your own mother didn't want you, so she ran away and hid. Your brother certainly doesn't want you. He's only keeping you as a favor to his mother. And Kanaye...well, he faked a funeral so he wouldn't have to see your ugly mug anymore. You said it yourself, everyone only really wanted you for your body, not because of who you are._

I shook my head vigorously as I slunk to my knees. Its cooing, silky voice was beginning to get to me. I couldn't let It do that. _NO! Just shut up and go to Hell, where you belong!_

_ I can't go until you go, my sweet. Have you forgotten? I'm trapped within this monstrous body of yours. I have no way out._

_ I'm only a monster because of you!_

_ Then why did you want to kill your father so badly?_

_ I had your chakra sealed inside of me!_

_ Is that really the reason? Do you really believe the lies your telling yourself?_

_ I'm stronger than you think, bastard. I won't give in to you._

Shaking my head again, I stood up and turned around, only to come face-to-face with a red-haired boy who had a gourd on his back and the kanji for love on his left temple.

"I know what it feels like," he said simply.

I looked him warily up and down. "Which beast do you have sealed inside of you?" I asked bluntly, assuming he knew what my problem was.

"The One-Tailed Shukaku. Which beast do you have locked inside of you?"

I smirked. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"Try me," the boy said. He reminded me a little of Kimimaro in the way he spoke without any sort of feeling.

"Alright. The Ten-Tailed Demon Beast."

The boy seemed unphased. "I could tell. Shukaku cringes away from your power. How did you come by the beast? I thought It was sealed away in the moon."

"That's a bit of a long story which I don't have time to tell you at the moment."

"Then answer me this: if the Ten-Tails' chakra was used to create the nine tailed beasts, then how is it that you still have any power?"

"The Ten-Tails is more powerful than people realize. Less than half of its chakra was used to make the other tailed beasts. The Sage of Six Paths had hoped to keep it locked away to use only when his village was in dire need. However, my father got his hands on it and sealed it within me so as to make my life living hell."

"So I see I am not the only one with a father who wanted only to use you, not love you. What is your name?"

"Hatake Hotaru of the Hidden Leaf Village. Now you must tell me yours," I replied.

"I am Gaara of the Desert. Now, I must go do what I was sent here to do."

"And what is that, might I ask?" I inquired as he began to leave.

"I am here to protect Uzumaki Naruto and Rock Lee," he answered flatly as he disappeared.

"Well, I suppose word travels faster than I thought around here," I muttered as I ran off in the direction of where I left Shikamaru.

I realized I wasn't needed as I got within a fifty meter radius of the area. All but one tree was left standing. A flash of red in the debris caught my eye, so I ran over to inspect it. Tayuya was crushed underneath an enormous tree trunk. Her eyelids fluttered weakly as I ran over to her.

"Where'd you run of to, asshole?" she joked hoarsely.

"Shh, don't strain yourself," I murmured as I stroked her hair. She spat out a mouthful of blood as a kunai whizzed past my ear.

"Kankuro! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Shikamaru's voice sounded from the tree.

I looked over to see a black-clad figure standing at the edge of the trees. I pulled back my bangs and flashed them my forehead protector.

"I don't know if you can see from that distance, but this forehead protector bears the symbol of the Hidden Leaf Village! Last time I checked, we were allies!"

I bent over Tayuya again and stayed there until she drew her last breath. I heard Shikamaru explaining my story to the Sand ninjas. I straightened up and pulled her body out from under the fallen trees.

"Don't bother to look for the one with turquoise lipstick and another body attached to his own," the boy who had thrown the kunai at me said. "There's nothing left that's worth burying except this." He threw me Sakon's bead necklace. I caught it deftly and nodded my thanks to him. Slinging Tayuya onto my back, I ran off to find Kidoumaru and Jiroubou.

I followed the smell of burning flesh until I happened upon Kidoumaru's body. He looked up and grimaced at me as I landed.

"Come to finish me off?" he asked grimly.

"No, I came to give you this and see you off before you go," I replied as I laid Tayuya's body next to him.

A tear rolled down his cheek as he stroked her face. "Well, at least we'll be going to the same place together," he said, his voice shaking.

"I'm sure you will, Kidoumaru. I'm sure you will," I told him softly.

"Thank you, Hotaru, for giving me this moment before I die," he whispered.

"It was nothing," I replied.

I crouched down in front of them until Kidoumaru drew his last breath as well. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes as I picked the both of them up and looked for Neji. The medical team had come and gone, leaving the dying man where he was and taking Neji back to the village. So I went on my way to find Jiroubou next.

He was dead before I found him, so there were no words to give to him. I placed my former comrades next to Jiroubou and began to dig a large hole with my chakra. I set the bodies in the hole carefully, then placed the necklace on top of the bodies. Covering the hole back up, I placed a few large rocks on top of it and stood back. The makeshift grave didn't look as bad as I thought it would. I summoned enough chakra to perform the Great Fireball Technique and heated the rock enough to make it nearly unbreakable.

"Hmm, Hotaru being nice? That's an unusual occurrence."

"Fuck off, dumbass," I joked softly as Kakashi came up behind me. I looked at him and noticed he had Naruto slung over his shoulder. Suddenly It seized my brain and I lunged for him. Kakashi jumped out of the way just in time.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kakashi shouted.

_WE SHOULD KILL THE LITTLE BASTARD!!_

_ NO! _ I shrieked at It. I wouldn't become what he wanted me to become. I _wouldn't._

_ YES! Go kill him NOW!_

My body lunged halfway across the distance between me and Naruto. I forced myself to stop.

"NO!" I shrieked out loud now. I fell down and clutched my head. I whimpered as Kakashi came over.

"Keep Naruto away from me!" I ordered, so he backed off.

"Naruto, what the hell did you do to Hotaru?" Kakashi demanded.

"Well..." Naruto said hoarsely.

"It wasn't his fault! Just get him back to the village and keep him away from me for a while!" I screamed as a stabbing pain shot through my brain. I screamed and curled up even tighter.

Kakashi bolted out of the clearing as fast as he could. The beast roared and sent another wave of crippling pain throughout my body.

_FOOL! You let him get away! You should have gotten revenge!_

I closed my eyes and found myself in a dark tunnel. Water sloshed at my feet as I walked down it. I came to a bend and turned to face the Ten-Tailed Demon Beast, trapped in a cage that could never be opened by human hands.

_You are living inside MY body! _I shouted at it. _You are to abide by my rules. We are NOT going to kill Uzumaki Naruto!_

It merely snarled and tried to lash out at me. I willed a whip made of fire into my hand and I cracked it at the beast. Growling angrily, he retreated as far back as he could. Satisfied with my work, I opened my eyes. Its voice was silent, so I ran back to the village to explain my strange behavior.

* * *

"Hey, Hotaru! You can wake up now."

I sat up quickly and looked around. I remembered I had been waiting for Naruto to wake up so I could apologize. He was definitely awake now, for he was shaking my arm and talking to me.

"I thought you'd been lazy for long enough now," Naruto grinned jokingly, but he seemed to be missing all of the energy he used to have. He must be grieving over Sasuke's departure.

"Hey, listen kid, I want to apologize-"

"No, it's not your fault. It wasn't my place to call you weak and say such nasty things to you," he interrupted. "Kakashi explained why you acted like you did in the clearing yesterday. It's me who should be apologizing."

"Well, now that we're all done apologizing, may I speak to Naruto now?" Jiraiya cut in.

I looked out the window to see the perverted sage sitting on a giant toad outside Naruto's window. Smiling, I nodded and left the room.

I made my way slowly back to Kakashi's home. The village seemed so peaceful in the afternoon. Little kids running around playing with each other, couples out for a sunset walk. My heart began to hurt as I thought about it. I picked up the pace and kept my head down all the way to Kakashi's house. Good thing I did, or I would have missed the rose on the doorstep. It was a purple-ish color, and only found in one place. My pulse quickened as I opened the note attached.

I'm still here with you and I still love you.

Meet me at our pond and I'll explain everything.

I had to sit down on the porch when I realized it was Kanaye's handwriting.


	8. Alive

"And where do you think you're going?"

"Out," I answered Kakashi simply, my hand still on the door handle.

"I'd ask more, but I'm too tired. Just don't get into any trouble while you're out. I don't want to go save your ass again," Kakashi yawned.

"Gee, thanks," I muttered as I opened the door and walked out into the night. My heart began to pound as I raced towards our pond. Could I really trust the note left with the rose? Well, the rose came from Kanaye's village, and no one but the village people knew where it was. Not to mention the entire village was wiped out by a great wildfire, making Kanaye the only survivor. Unless someone was very clever...

No. There was no way. Nobody knew that Kanaye used to give me roses besides Kakashi. Or was there someone else who knew that I didn't know about?

As I reached the edge of the trees, all of my thoughts left my head. I could only think of Kanaye.

I gasped when I saw him. His silhouette stood out against the pond, his back towards me. He whirled around when the leaves rustled.

"Hotaru," he breathed. "You really came."

I walked towards him slowly, not sure if it was really him or just a jutsu. I stood within inches of his face. Every feature was visible in the bright moonlight. There were some scars there that only Kakashi and I knew about. The Beast grudgingly admitted that there was no jutsu being performed.

Tears ran down my face as I placed my hand on his cheek.

"It really is you," I whispered.

Kanaye bent down and touched his lips to mine. I tangled my fingers in his hair as his arms wrapped around my waist. His tongue traced my lips as I let out a sigh. He began moving his mouth towards my eyes, and he began kissing my tears away.

"Hey, don't cry. It's really me, I promise," he murmured. "I'm sorry I never came back, love. I didn't want to lose the only thing I had dear to me like I almost did two years ago."

My hands moved down his chest to his stomach. I stopped and looked up into his eyes. "What happened to you?" I demanded as I lifted up his shirt. If I could remember correctly, he used to only have one scar on his torso. Now it was covered with scars, cuts and bruises. It looked as if he had been beaten multiple times.

He sighed. "That's a bit of a long story. Why don't we sit down?"

Kanaye leaned against our tree and slumped to the ground. Taking my hand, he led me to his side and pulled me down gently. Holding me close, he stroked my hair as he began.

"After the incident, I made the hardest choice of my life. Either I stay with you and get you killed, or I leave you and keep you safe from me forever. I couldn't bear to lose you because of me, so I chose to leave. I'll tell you right now, it was the stupidest choice I ever made.

"I got Kakashi and Tsunade to help me fake the funeral. Tsunade swore to loathe me forever if you were killed because of me anyway, but she knew that I would go get myself legit killed if it meant saving you. Kakashi actually offered to kill me personally if Tsunade wouldn't help me. He was angry because he knew it would break your heart if I left," Kanaye explained quickly when I looked up at him with a horrified expression. Satisfied with his answer for the moment, I let him continue.

"Tsunade gave me the drugs I needed to make it appear that I was dead, and Kakashi unburied me when everyone was gone. Well, actually, he had to give you some medication to knock you out so he could unbury the coffin," he chuckled.

"That explains sooo much!" I exclaimed. "I woke up curled on your grave and Kakashi said I had cried myself to sleep. The dirt felt too wet to have been turned up nearly twenty-four earlier. That also explains why it was Kakashi who woke me up!"

Kanaye laughed at my expression for a few more moments before continuing. "God, how I missed you. Anyway, after your brother unburied me, I ran off to find the man who attacked the three of us. I ended up near death in the clutches of the Akatsuki. They thought I could persuade you to come give up the beast's chakra. Then, as a reward, they would kill me so I could 'be with my darling wife forever'," he said in such a good impersonation of Deidara's voice that it almost scared me. "I refused, so they tortured me. That's where all of my new scars are from," he explained.

"After keeping me for a little over a year, they decided that I had been subdued enough to cooperate. They sent me to go get you, escorted by Deidara and Sasori, of course. Well, along they way, we were conveniently attacked by Zabuza and a young boy named Haku, who followed Zabuza like a dog. I can't remember how exactly, but we were somehow separated and I ended up under Zabuza's guard instead of Sasori's.

"They made me state my purpose and explain how I ended up with those bastards in the first place. I lied and said I had three kids and a pregnant wife waiting for me at home and that I would do anything to live and see my family again. Zabuza grudgingly let me go, after beating me into submission, of course.

"So I made my way back to the village. I nearly went mad because I hadn't seen your face or heard your voice for so long, so I went to check on our home. You weren't there, so I went to your mother's house. All that was left were some burnt pieces of wood and a few bodies. Getting a bit worried, I ran over to the village after disguising myself as an old lady.

"I found you eventually. You were here, staring at my gravestone. I couldn't stand the look on your face, so I had to go talk to you, see your face up close again."

"So you _were_ the little old lady!" I realized. "It was those eyes of yours that made me wonder if it was just a jutsu. Only you could have eyes that bright," I murmured as I looked up at him. Oh, how I'd missed those eyes!

"Yes, well, I couldn't stand not seeing you, so I didn't really care. I ran away because I was afraid you might recognize me, then hate me for coming to you in such a manner. So I stayed and watched you from a distance. You have no idea how hard it was, watching you blame yourself for my death. It got especially tough when I had to watch you fall out of the tree. I turned into Jiraiya and carried you to the hospital, though. I had just met with Kakashi for lunch and we were going to go look for you and reveal the truth. Both of us kind of figured it would have been a bad time to tell you there.

"Were you the one calling my name at first, when I had that nightmare?" I asked quietly, my head leaning against his chest.

"Yes, I had been there holding your hand. It wouldn't have been a good time to tell you then, either, so I jumped out the window before you noticed me there. After that, there just wasn't a good time to tell you. I finally gave in, and here we are," Kanaye said to conclude his story.

"Yes, here we are," I repeated.

"Well, how were your adventures while I was away?" Kanaye whispered in my ear as he ran his nose along my jaw.

"Mmm, very boring. Although, there's something I have to tell you," I sighed, removing his arms.

"What is it?" he asked, instantly concerned.

I folded my knees beneath my chin and stared out at the water. I couldn't bear to look at his face while I told him the news. "Well, you see, the thing with my mom's burnt house is....Alright, so the day I came back to the village after looking for your "murderer", I went to go check on my mother. I got there and three men were burning her alive in her house. It took over and I tortured the three men to death, then burned them in the house."

"So? I'm not seeing what the problem is here," Kanaye said, scooting closer to hold me again.

"The three men were Tsudomaru and two of your cousins," I choked out as my voice began to falter.

Kanaye instantly stopped moving. I instantly felt very stupid. I hadn't seen my husband for two years, maybe even longer, and the first thing I say is 'Oh, by the way, I kind of killed your adopted brother and your cousins'. What the hell was I thinking?!

I tried holding back my sobs as he sighed. He began to stand up, as if he were about to leave. A strangled cry escaped my mouth, so my hands flew up to cover it. Suddenly, I was swept up into his warm arms. He rocked me back and forth as he cradled me.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, love. It's alright. I wasn't going to leave, I swear. Shh, don't cry. Please don't cry," he begged as he carried me over to the bench next to the tree. He sat down and began wiping away my tears. There seemed to be a lot of those flowing from my eyes lately.

"If you weren't going to leave, then what were you going to do?" I whimpered, looking at my hands.

"Well, I had been about to pick you up anyway and carry you over here to explain that I wasn't mad and that I understand that when It takes over you have no control. Your sob just made me move faster, that's all," he cooed in my ear. Then he blew a thin jet of cold air onto the back of my neck. I rolled my shoulders up and my head back to protect it, just like I always had. He leaned over and kissed me with more passion than ever before. I was slightly dizzy when he was done.

"It's getting late," he whispered. "We should be getting home."

Lifting me up, he stood and took my hand. We made our way slowly back to Kakashi's house. The moonlight danced across the rooftops and the puddles in the street still left from the slight rain we had gotten a few days before. All was quiet and peaceful. Just like it used to be.

As we walked past a large puddle, Kanaye suddenly had a devilish grin spread across his face. I looked at him, then the puddle, then back at him.

"Oh, no you d-" I began, but was cut off as soon as Kanaye jumped in the puddle, soaking himself as well as me.

Giving in, I went and jumped in the puddles with him all the way down the street. We were drenched and out of breath by the time we were done, but we were so happy together. A kiss under the stars finished it off. My heart was soaring higher than it had in a very long time.

Kakashi was still up when we got home. He didn't seem very surprised to see us come in together.

"Well, this explains why you were out so long," Kakashi said, not looking up from the book he was reading on the couch.

I simply smiled at Kanaye and led him to the bedroom. I closed the door quietly behind me. Turning around, I went over and laid down next to Kanaye.

"I suppose you'll be sleeping here tonight," I sighed as I snuggled up to him.

"Oh dear, how will I ever survive?" he teased.

"I don't know. Guess we'll have to find out," I said, a hint in my voice.

"Guess we will," he whispered as he ran his finger along my spine.

Deciding to make what I wanted more obvious, I pulled his head down and kissed him as I wrapped my legs around his waist. My hands traced the contours of his chest as I pulled off his shirt.

He didn't need any more prompting.


	9. Exiled

Bliss.

Complete and utter bliss.

Yes, that was the best way to describe my feelings when I woke up the next morning. I hadn't realized how much I'd been craving this feeling. There were no problems to worry about, no fights to deal with, and no killings to attend to. Absolutely no-

Kakashi pounded the door frame. "Council meeting. Tsunade needs me as well as Kanaye."

Interruptions. Groaning, I buried my face deeper into Kanaye's chest. This was a bad idea, for the muscles in his chest nearly broke my nose. Blinking back tears of pain, I rolled over. Kanaye rolled the other way…right over the edge of the bed. Landing with a thud, he sat up quickly and looked around the room.

"I-I meant to do that," he muttered as his eyes rested on me.

"Of course you did," I giggled breathlessly after my long laughing fit. The bewilderment on his face had been too much for me to bear. Laughter having died down, I looked around the room. "Now where did you throw my clothes?"

My top landed on my head, obscuring my view. "Thanks," I mumbled. I removed it so I could put it on. My fingers found a hole in the fishnet that covered my back.

"You ripped my fishnets!" I told him indignantly.

"Well I got it off, didn't I?" he purred.

"True." I blushed a deep crimson as I remembered last night.

Kanaye was mostly dressed, save one item. He sighed. "I need my vest, love."

I grinned smugly. "Well then, come and get it."

His hands glided up my back to my shoulders. They eased the vest from my body. Soft lips pressed against my neck. Kanaye's warm lips trailed up to my jaw, my cheek, my ear, then that beautiful mouth found mine. The kiss became harder, more passionate, and all I could do was crave more.

Kakashi interrupted once again, this time opening the door. I gasped and angled Kanaye so he was completely blocking me from view of the doorway.

"If you're still naked, that's your fault," Kakashi grumbled. "Now move! Tsunade hasn't got all day."

"Tsunade's probably not even there yet!" I called as he slammed the screen shut. Muttering under my breath, I found my pants and cloak, then we followed an irritated Kakashi to the mountain. Kanaye made it up first, and I was a close second. He helped me over the edge as we waited for Kakashi.

"Y'know, for someone who was so anxious to get here, you're moving rather slowly," I called down to my brother, who was roughly 15 meters from the top.

"Shut your mouth and stop being a bitch," Kakashi spat.

Slightly stung, I backed away from the edge and rested my head on Kanaye's chest. He ran his fingers through my tangled mess of hair as best he could. I hadn't had the time to brush it before we were rushed out of the house.

Kakashi finally reached the top, slightly out of breath from the climb.

"Why are you so pissed off at everything today, Brother?" I asked, putting my hand gently on his shoulder.

He shrugged it off. "Anko refuses to come near my house anymore."

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"Because you're there, that's why!" he snarled, turning on me. "Every time I find someone I care about, they're always scared away by my demon sister! They're always afraid you'll lose your temper about something and kill them. If Naruto were still here, I'd be hesitant to let you anywhere near him after what you tried to do to him.

"What doesn't help is you unleashed the beast once on Anko, and she's never forgiven you for it. You nearly killed her, you nearly destroyed this village, and you destroyed another village once. You're a monster!" Kakashi stops, breathing harder. His next words cut me more than any knife ever could.

"I should never have accepted you as my sister."

He stormed off to the council room, leaving me trying not to cry. Kanaye came closer to comfort me when the gong that summoned everyone to the meeting rang out. Kanaye was torn between comforting me and going to the meeting.

"Go," I said my voice shaking. "I have not earned my place in the council. I'll be here when you get back."

Grudgingly, Kanaye ran to join the council. I sat on a rock, trying to hold back the sobs threatening to escape. I bit down on my knuckle and let the tears roll silently down my cheeks. For I knew Kakashi's words rang true.

I was a monster.

"Hey, fancy meeting you again!"

I looked up to see Naruto Uzumaki making his way towards me. I quickly wiped my tears away as he came closer.

"What do you want?" I rasped.

"I wanna know why you're not in the council room with everyone else," he huffed, sitting on the ground next to me.

"I have yet to earn my place in the council," I answered as a humorless smile played at the corners of my mouth.

"How could a great ninja like you not be on the council?" Naruto spluttered.

"Let's just say I don't have the best or cleanest of records." Naruto looked utterly lost, so I explained, "I nearly destroyed the village with my power and killed a few villagers in the process."

"So, uh, why weren't you, um, well…" he trailed off.

"Banished? The Third refused to banish an eight year old," I told him flatly, implying the end of the current conversation with my tone.

Naruto was silent for a while, which surprised me. Finally he mused, "Wonder what was so urgent that they called Jiraiya all the way here to discuss it."

"If they summoned Jiraiya as well, then this must be troublesome indeed."

We sat in silence until the council ended. Kakashi came out with Kanaye and refused to look at me as he went over to talk to Anko. Kanaye made his way over to me with regret swimming in his eyes.

"I won't bother to ask what it was all about, for I know you're bound to secrecy," I sighed as I stood up. He wrapped his arms around my waist as an apology.

"Jealous you couldn't be apart of the meeting?" Anko sneered.

I knew what she was trying to do, but my temper still began to rise. "Not in the slightest,"

She smirks. "For one who lies so well, that was terrible."

"Sorry to have disappointed you," I said coolly.

"Hm, I'm not the only one you disappoint."

My fist colliding with her jaw sounded around the mountains. She turned her head back slowly, flexing her jaw. Everyone stood around with baited breath. My temper has quite a reputation for getting out of hand.

I began to walk away when I heard her mutter, "Devil."

I stopped cold. Quiet gasps traveled around the crowd.

What was that?" I growled, whipping around to face her.

"Y-you heard me," she answered, defiant as ever. The bitch.

"Hotaru…" Kanaye warned, but I was past warnings now.

"At least I'm not the one with that seal from Orochimaru," I scoffed. "Does it still make you feel special? Like you're wanted?"

"Fuck off," she hissed, taking a step closer.

"Oh, I'm scared now," I said in mock terror.

"I might have the seal, but I'm not the one who almost destroyed the village," she spat. "I didn't kill those innocent villagers. Oh, and what about your father's village? Those poor Hidden Rain villagers didn't stand a chance against your fury, did they?"

Tsunade came out. "Anko, don't egg her on so," she warned.

But it was too late for that. Far too late. I felt the Beast raging inside me, trying to break free, to quench its thirst for blood.

"Take that back," I commanded, my voice dangerously quiet.

Anko leaned in closer and whispered, "No."

I snapped. Two tails released, I grabbed a shuriken and threw it at Anko blindingly fast. She jumped out of the way, but barely. The dangerous weapon grazed her side and imbedded itself into a rock behind her. She did not recover quickly enough. I threw pointed needles at her, and they all found their mark. Anko only had time to shield her vital organs with her arms. I jumped to the top of a tree as she retaliated with five shuriken of her own. I used my chakra to send them all soaring back at them. Three hit her, one landed next to her, and the last…

"Oh dear God, what the hell have I done?" I gasped, coming out of my cursed state.

The last one had found its mark in Hokage Tsunade's stomach.

The ninjas below rushed to her aid, all of them turning to glare at me. Kakashi still refused to look at me and Kanaye look as if he couldn't believe I'd done it.

I jumped from my perch to her side. She pushed me away as she tears the shuriken out of her abdomen. She used her own chakra to heal the wound I had made. Then she stood up to face me.

"Hotaru Hatake, you have just attacked your Hokage," she said. Her voice betrayed ne emotion, but her eyes showed it all. Fear of my power, shock at what I'd done, loathing that I had done it, and regret for what she was about to do. "Do you deny this?"

"No," I answered, my voice strong and clear. I refused to show my fear. That was not my way.

"Hokage, it was not by her bidding, she-" Kanaye pleaded, but Tsunade raised her hand to silence him.

"Very well," she continued. "Then Hotaru Hatake, I hereby banish you from this village. If any villager should see you within our borders, they must kill you. You are dead to all of us now."

Anko stood up and spit her blood at my feet. I turned and walked into the forest, refusing to meet anyone's gaze. A quiet sniff came from Kanaye. I knew he wouldn't follow. He had a duty to his village.

Once I was out of seeing range, I bolted into the woods, not caring where I went. As long as it was away.

Things had certainly taken a change for the worse. I knew I had never really had friends, only those who pitied the poor demonic girl who had no one to love her.

"Who said I needed love?" I sobbed to myself as I ran. "I don't need them. I don't need anyone. I have myself."

_And me_ the Beast purred, and for once I did not silence him.

A branch came out of nowhere and thwacked me in the head. I tumbled to the ground, not trying to stop myself. I landed with a thud.

Right at the feet of Orochimaru.

"Kukuku, what do we have here?" he hissed. "How nice it is to see you again, Hotaru."

Panic swept over me, along with a wave of black.


End file.
